Following are some of the countless social and political issues the next presidential candidates
will face, and hopefully address. But as usual, the latter may not happen, or if it does, the spin the candidates put on the issues
will make us all dizzy. Here is what one concerned octogenarian, me, myself, and I, thinks about the whole passing parade of what
may be problems too big to solve, but hopefully not too big to at least give more than lip service to finding answers, like politicians
do. Where do you stand on these issues?

- Abortion: I approve of women having this right, except teen age girls should be counseled
by a parent, or guardian, or an objective medical counselor. Blanket approval for any female to get an abortion should not be allowed.
- Domestic abuse: No man should get away with physically abusing his wife.
There should be zero tolerance enforcement of stiff penalties,
- LGBT issues: I disapprove of calling same sex relationships marriage, and their procedure for "love-making." But they should have
the right to decide that for themselves, and to have all other legal rights that "straight" citizens have.
- Affirmative action: Although
I favor hiring preference based on job qualifications, a breakthrough was needed to give all citizens equal rights, and this action
may have been one of those situations. There should be a time limit set.
- Immigration: Legal immigrants make up a great portion of
respected citizens of America. No illegal immigrants should be given favors and rights that other immigrants who worked hard, and
waited, to get.
- Death penalty: Heinous crimes should be dealt with expeditiously. Few punishments are cruel and unusual for a child-rapist
or terrorist.
- Firearms: Except for criminals convicted of weapon-involved felonies and the mentally retarded, only U.S. citizens
should have a right to buy and own a single shot handgun or rifle.
- Christmas decorations: Only legitimate religions calling for
"peace on Earth and goodwill towards men" should have a right to display evidence of their religion during religious holidays. Terrorist-based
"religions" should be excluded from this right, along with every other right.
- Congressional benefits: Just being a member of Congress
should not qualify for the enormous benefit packages now given. More terms served should account for more benefits.
- Voting rights:
Voting rights should be the same for black as well as white citizens.
- Taxes: If you earn an income you should pay taxes. The percentage
paid should be a graduated scale, the more the income, the greater percentage, with a fair and reasonable increment of percent increase,
based on number of dependents.
- Nuclear strategy: America should always be armed to protect itself for any eventuality.
- Marijuana:
I see no justification for public, over the counter marijuana shops. "Users will get it anyway" is not one justification, and the
same is true for heroin, meth, Uzis, and other drugs and arms.
- School prayer: Prayers can be said in other venues. I believe the
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag should be legal in tax-paying establishments.
- Affordable Care Act: Another government graft-laden,
mismanagement program. Citizens should always have the right to pay for their own health coverage. Clinics should be available for
those who prove they cannot afford one.
- Homeless: The homeless should be given an opportunity to enter a job-preparation program
of some kind, and provisional housing provided for them when essential. Provision should be made for voting rights.
- Protestors:
Non-peaceful protestors who destroy public or private property should be legally and financially accountable, as any citizen should
be. There is no law allowing violent protest.
- Freedom of Speech: A law exists that a person cannot be denied employment based on
race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and such, so there needs to be a law that a person cannot be removed from his employment for speaking
his personal opinion, in a private setting.
- Women in the military: To say that women can only perform clerical duties in the service
is not giving women equality with men. If women do not want to be a soldier on the front line, they cannot claim they deserve gender
equality. Equality can't be just on their terms. Equal rights include equal responsibility.
-Iran nuclear deal: I don't trust anything
Iran says. Only a foolish man would.
- Those individuals, American citizens or not, who are designated as terrorists anywhere in the
world, should have no legal rights given to them by the American justice system and should be held accountable for their acts, and
given no legal protection by the U.S. Constitution.
- On the lighter side:
- Professional football players should concentrate more
on running, passing, tackling and kicking, and less on trying to hurt their opponent, and should be held accountable for sustained
injuries.
- There should be a ZTE for illegal drug use in all professional sports.
- Basketball players should concentrate more on
dribbling, passing, shooting and guarding, rather than seeing how many tattoos their body can display.
- Professional baseball should
limit the length of beards for all players.
- If The Ladies Professional Golf Association wants their own "Masters" Tournament, they
should be free to organize it, in any public or private golf course willing to hold the match. They should not be able to force a
course to hold the tournament. If they want to build their own private course, as Augusta National did, and have a "Masters," they
can do that.

America is experiencing serious problems, in both domestic and international
issues, and the current leaders in Washington D.C. don't seem to be making much progress in dealing with them. And if we all believe
that Hillary Clinton, or Jeb Bush, or Rand Paul will solve them, or that President Obama will seriously tackle them in his remaining
tenure, we are probably all being misled by "politically-correct" rhetoric. There's ample evidence that some politicians often lie.
Let's try not to be hoodwinked by those who don't have the knowledge or experience to bring the U.S. out of its current free fall
in the eyes of the world as well as at home.
Now, would these views clearly indicate that
a person was a political liberal or conservative? Are these views so far out in one direction that the other direction wonders what
I've been smoking lately? Reasonable people need to get away from the approach that says "You idiot, why can't you see the truth in
my position and how stupid your opinion is?" People need to get out of the rut of believing that whatever party they vote for is all
good and the other party's views are all bad. When you get right down to it, aren't most of us interested in the same or similar goals,
and only the means used to realize these goals are what separates the two major parties, so shouldn't we get our egos out of the way
and stop blowing our own horn like we're the only trumpet in the band on key?